On Hallow's Eve
by alightintheshadows
Summary: Co-written with Akarri. Colonel Mustang's unit has been charged with tracking a serial killer at East City's Halloween festival. None of them could have prepared for the killer setting sights on one of their own. Parental!RoyEd. Parental!RizaEd. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! I had this idea for a Halloween two-shot, so I hope you enjoy it!**

 **I just have to say that I could not have done this without Akarri! She helped me write this little tale and had some excellent input. I highly suggest checking out her stellar fanfics if any of you haven't already.**

 **Neither Akarri nor I own Fullmetal Alchemist. It's probably best if it remains that way.**

The chilly fall air whipped through Riza's hair as she stood in line at the ticket booth. She almost stumbled over when something ran into her legs.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am!" a young woman desperately apologized as she grabbed her child's shoulders. "She was so excited for the festival that she bolted the second we got out of the car, I almost couldn't keep up!"

The First Lieutenant smiled warmly.

"It's quite all right!" she assured. She knelt down before the young girl. "What are you supposed to be?"

"I'm a witch!" the little girl giggled.

She was practically bouncing in place, causing her pointed hat to fall off. Riza picked up her hat and placed it back on her head.

"Well, you're a very pretty witch! I'm sure you'll get lots of candy tonight!"

"Since she's so eager, why don't you all go ahead of us?"

The girl now looked up to the boy standing next to Riza. Her eyes gleamed at the sight of an automail hand.

"Wow! Are you a robot?"

Much to Riza's surprise, Ed just laughed and gave the girl a thumbs up.

"Yes I am! Robots are pretty cool, aren't they?"

The child nodded vigorously. Riza straightened up and placed a hand on Ed's shoulder as the two took a step back.

"What do you say?" the young woman asked as she and her daughter took their new place in line in front of the two.

"Thank you!"

Riza grinned and turned to Ed.

"That was very kind of you."

Her grin widened a bit when she saw a slight blush creeping up his face. Before he even had the chance to mutter some sort of response, Ed stumbled forward as one of the boys behind them got shoved into the young alchemist.

"Sorry!" the kid said, not even glancing back to Ed.

Ed grumbled some acknowledgment of the apology before moving slightly closer to the First Lieutenant. Riza peeked back behind them. A group of three boys had filed in line behind them. Two of them looked to be just a couple of years younger than Ed.

"Quit pushing me!" one complained. "You're going to get us kicked out of line! We won't even get in the festival!"

The corners of her mouth quirked into a frown when she looked back to Ed, a part of her wishing he could have the same care-free spirit the boys behind them had. A part of her wished they were actually here to participate in East City's Halloween Festival.

"He's right you know." Riza glanced back when she heard the third boy in the group speak, noticing how much older he looked than the rest. "You better start behaving, or Ellen Drake will get you next!"

A chill ran down Riza's spine, and it wasn't because of the cold autumn wind. She and Ed stepped closer to the ticket counter as the line moved forward. She felt Ed stiffen beside her, knowing he was thinking the exact same thing.

 _How could someone joke about that?_

It only happened a couple of years ago. Colonel Mustang's unit hadn't even been assigned to investigate the initial case, but nearly everyone at headquarters in East City had heard about it.

A call came in on Halloween night from a man saying his girlfriend showed up at his door covered in blood and holding a knife. Apparently he'd shut and locked the door instantly to make the call. By the time military personnel arrived, she was gone.

Ellen Drake and her son's bodies washed up on the shore of the lake just ten miles west of East City a couple days later.

Riza would never forget hearing the story from the officers that interviewed Ellen's boyfriend. Apparently, the two had been dating for a while. He took her to dinner the night before Halloween, and she brought up the idea of them getting married. The boyfriend didn't think it was a good idea at the time because her son had just transferred schools and was struggling to adjust and he didn't think such a big change would be good during this time for the kid.

The next night, he had just gotten home from work when Ellen showed up at his door covered in blood. He claimed that she admitted to killing her son so they wouldn't have to worry about him and they could be together for the rest of their lives. Understandably, the boyfriend called the authorities immediately.

Riza recalled seeing the crime scene photos and reading the autopsy reports from the briefing just a few days ago. Ellen's son suffered ten stab wounds before his body was dumped in the lake. The First Lieutenant still got angry every time she thought about it.

 _He was only fifteen. He was Ed's age…and his life was so cruelly ripped away from him by someone he trusted._

According to the reports, Ellen simply drowned. There were no marks on her body to indicate any sort of struggle. After the interview with her boyfriend and reading the coroner's report, the investigators concluded that Ellen Drake threw herself in the lake to drown after truly realizing what she had done.

Riza barely suppressed the shiver as she and Ed stepped forward.

 _How could any woman do that to her own child?_

She wished the story ended there.

A few weeks after the murder, an officer from the investigation leaked a few of the crime scene photos, one of which was just of Ellen herself taken when military personnel arrived at the lake once the bodies were discovered. She was just lying on the ground, her once light blue dress dirtied by the lake water. Despite the dress being completely drenched, the dark red spots staining the dress were still visible. These photos circulated in newspapers across East City for weeks.

Riza _really_ wished the story ended there.

The following Halloween, another body washed up on the shore of that very lake. The victim was fourteen-years-old and had ten stab wounds to his stomach, just like Ellen Drake's son. She had been foolish to think it might just be a coincidence.

Last Halloween, just a year ago, there was yet another victim. The kid was only sixteen. After interviewing the victims' families, military personnel learned that both boys had been taken at East City's Halloween Festival.

"Is everything all right?"

Riza looked down at Ed, the young alchemist staring up at her curiously. Tickets now in hand, the two walked through the entrance to the festival.

"Everything's fine," she assured automatically.

Ed glanced around through the sea of people walking around to the seemingly endless tents and vendors, but the First Lieutenant held her gaze on the teen for just a moment longer. She put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention and leaned in so he could hear her over the roar of the crowd.

"Just stay close to me. Do you understand?"

Ed nodded instantly, knowing better than to disobey an order from Lieutenant Hawkeye. She now joined him in scanning the crowd.

A few friends of the second victim came forward a couple weeks ago. They all reported seeing a woman in a light blue dress with red stains wandering around the festival. They didn't speak up initially because they said they didn't think anything of it, but eventually decided to report it.

Riza understood their hesitation. Perhaps they partially felt responsible for their friend's death. The last that they saw him, he was heading to see the magic show the festival put on every year and they lost him in the crowd. Once the killer had set his sights on their friend, there wasn't anything they could have done, but she knew that didn't make them feel any better.

There was another part of her that thought they might have hesitated because of how ridiculous it sounded. After talking with some of the vendors present at the festival, only a couple saw a costume with those kids' description. Apparently, very few people saw the woman. Either someone simply had a very sick idea to dress up as Ellen Drake for Halloween and decided to make a quick appearance at the festival, or it might be a bit darker than that.

They might be looking for a copycat.

Considering both victims suffered the exact same fate as Ellen Drake's son, that was a possibility.

Children weaved in and out of the crowd, causing Riza and Ed to nearly stumble on a number of occasions. She caught sight of Breda trying to navigate through the crowd as well, briefly making eye contact with her. He gave a slight nod in their direction, and she returned the gesture.

 _Nothing yet._

General Grumman put the Colonel in charge of catching the killer, adamant that there would not be a third victim this year. Military personnel was already stationed at the lake just outside of the city, enough to secure nearly the entire perimeter. Several other officers, including the Colonel, were surrounding the outside of the festival in hopes of catching the killer before they even had a chance to get to the lake.

Both Second Lieutenants Breda and Havoc were ordered to investigate within the festival, along with Riza and Ed. She glanced back down to Ed, noticing it was odd to not see him in his trademark red cloak. She inwardly. Ed must have thought it just as weird to see her and Breda in civilian clothes.

"What the hell?" she heard Ed mutter.

"What is it?" she asked, trying to follow his gaze.

She couldn't see anything, and Ed wasn't answering her. Without a word, he bolted through the sea of people.

"Ed!" she instinctively yelled as she tried to follow him toward a stage at the north end of the festival.

She successfully kept track of the teen for a while. She briefly glanced at the stage when a man walked onto it.

"All right, everyone!" the announcer addressed the crowd. "Our show will begin in just ten minutes! I hope you all are ready!"

Cheers resounded throughout the sea of people, and even more shuffled closer to the stage. Unfortunately, this made it more difficult to follow Ed. She eventually made it to the edge of the crowd, this being the last direction she saw Ed heading….

…but he wasn't here.

She spun around, trying to catch a glimpse of the young alchemist.

"Ed?"

She ran along the outside of the crowd, hoping to see a kid with a long, blond braid.

"Lieutenant?" someone hissed.

She turned to see Breda, immediately grabbing his arm.

"Have you seen Ed?" she asked.

The Second Lieutenant's eyes widened, but he shook his head. Riza's heart pounded in her chest. Havoc soon joined the two and he instantly noticed the worried looks of his comrades.

"Where's the Chief?"

Riza swallowed with difficulty, her throat seeming to close up.

 _Ed was gone._

 ***break***

Ed swerved through the excited crowd, paying no mind to the clamor around him.

 _How could no one else hear it? Are they just not listening? Are they too oblivious from their own happiness to notice it?_

He caught it for only a fraction of a second, but he was sure he heard a child's scream. It was so brief and quickly obscured by the roaring crowd, but something deep and instinctual chilled him to the core when he heard it. It was a scream of panic and fear. He knew he agreed to stay by Hawkeye's side, but he didn't have time to wait for the others to hear it too. He had to act immediately.

 _I can't lose my only chance to do something!_

One quick glance behind him confirmed his worries that she wouldn't be able to keep up now that the crowd was streaming against him to get closer to the stage, but he just needed to check. He'd be right back. No harm done.

The horde of people thinned as he reached the edge of the festival grounds that were lined with colorful tents. That color faded with the bright energy of the crowd as he ducked past them, eyes searching for anything out of the ordinary.

The area claimed by the festival ended abruptly as he turned around a tent to look down a dark, lifeless street, as if the energy of the festival behind him sucked it dry. In comparison, there was a foreboding air about it that made Edward pause, hesitant to go out any further. If someone was truly in danger, he couldn't afford to run around blindly through the city.

Edward's attention swerved to the side when the sound of a quiet shuffle caught up with him. A shadow moved through the darkness and he was sure he heard a deep voice grumbling just a little ways off. After sparing only a moment to glance back up at the oblivious crowd behind him in a vain hope to see Hawkeye appear there, he steeled himself and swiftly went further through the buildings and around a corner, quickly obscuring him from view.

He wasn't sure if he should expect the serial killer they were after, or just a lost child that didn't know which way was up, but it didn't really matter either way. Careful to keep his balance through the cluttered alleyway, Edward hurried to get to the next intersection, searching every which way for movement.

He paused and quickly glanced behind him again towards the festival grounds. The glow of the lanterns stretched down the street highlighted building corners, causing the surroundings shadows to appear twice as dark. He could still easily hear the incomprehensible mixture of voices easily, but they too had somewhat faded.

He listened for that voice again, blocking out the festival completely. Edward was sure it was from this direction. It was possible he could have passed someone, he supposed….

Then a gruff mumble caught his ear and he quickly pivoted around, breath held tightly in his throat as he peered into the darkness between the buildings. Edward instinctively lowered himself and crept up behind a nearby dumpster. He could make out a figure in the darkness that had their back turned to him and were crouching down.

Ed paused, hoping to get a better look of the guy before jumping him. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he could better make out the details, such as the long blond hair and the light blue dress. He hesitated, freezing to the spot as he tried to work out what was going on.

The figure then stood up with a quiet, irritated groan, giving Edward a better view of the lean muscle that shown through the dress. He watched silently as they rose a hand to their head to somehow readjust the blond hair as if it were only a wig.

Wearing a light blue dress and a wig and lurking in the city's shadows on Halloween night...

A cold chill ran down Edward's spine as he connected the pieces with ease; this was the serial killer he was looking for, even going so far as to dress for the part.

Before the young alchemist could regather his nerve, the costumed man took a step over something and began walking away, slipping into a thin alley. Edward would have wondered why, but his mind was already wrapped around beating him up. However, he rose from his hiding spot and all thoughts of moving immediately disappeared. On the dirty city ground, where the killer was crouching, remained the limp, bloodied body of a child. The sight winded him, but he somehow managed to step closer until he was staring directly down at it.

A boy, no younger than thirteen, stared back at him, glassy-eyed and stricken with horror. That empty, haunted expression dug into Edward and he felt it pierce his chest. The kid was soaking in his own blood, with what Ed grimly assumed to be ten stab wounds scattered around his torso.

Edward didn't know him, but his shoulder slackened with the weight of guilt.

 _It was my job to keep this from happening. If I had just been a little more attentive…if I had just been a little faster, maybe…I could have stopped this. It was my job to, damn it!_

Fists clenched by his sides, Edward shut his eyes, unable to look upon the grisly sight any longer. But even so, he could still smell the blood and the fearful scream he heard just a minute ago cycled through his ears.

He needed to get out of there. He needed to find the bastard who did this, or maybe get backup, and then—

The sound of quiet footsteps crushing dying autumn leaves hit his ears. Edward's eyes shot open as he spun around just in time to see the same lightly dressed figure spring towards him, wrapping a strong arm around his neck before he could strike back. In the sudden chaos, he tried to break free from the hold by kicking the murderer away. But before he could free himself, he felt a very distinct cold prick on his neck. He kicked against his attacker's chest, and was then released to fall back against the hard ground, an arms length away from the child's corpse.

He looked up at the man, dully noticing the lean muscle that was almost overlooked from a different angle. The man looked down on him with cold, empty eyes that screamed of murderous intentions and chilled Edward to the bone. Almost immediately, every nerve in his body demanded that he run, but a dizzy wave washed over his head, forcing him to doubt his abilities to do so.

"You weren't supposed to see that," the man said, his dark voice mismatching his appearance. "But you'll work just as well."

At those words and the knowing smirk that accompanied them, Edward's mind went blank of all thoughts besides _run._ And so he scrambled to stand, his movements noticeably hindered by whatever was injected into his bloodstream. The killer didn't seem too worried as he somehow got to his feet and charged disorientated through the alley.

 _I have to find Hawkeye…I have to tell her…._

His feet quickly began to fail him and he tripped twice as he approached the corner that lead back to the festival grounds. He could make out the warm glow and the nearing chatter, so close but way too far. The distant light began to dim, darker and darker until he felt a powerful hand wrap around his wrist, and the light went out completely.

 **Well, there it is! Part two is already almost complete and will be posted next week before Halloween! Then I'll get back to working more on my other two fics, I swear. Until then!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! As promised, here is part two! Thank you all so much for your response to the first chapter. I'm very glad to see you all enjoyed it and are looking forward to this one. Anyways, on with the story!**

 **I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

Roy gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were turning white.

"We're going to find him, right?"

He glanced briefly into the rearview mirror at the massive suit of armor in the back of the car, then to the First Lieutenant in the passenger seat. He didn't miss how she tensed at the young boy's question.

"Yes, Al, we're going to find him," he assured. "Nothing's going to happen to him."

The Colonel was honestly surprised his grip hadn't snapped the steering wheel in half. He tried taking a deep breath, but it did little to calm his nerves…or ease any of his guilt.

 _I let the killer get away with my subordinate._

He could suddenly feel Riza's eyes on him.

"You did everything you could, sir."

He almost chuckled at the irony, remembering the guilt emanating off her when they met outside of the festival.

"So did you, Lieutenant."

He had been patrolling the north side of the festival when the Riza notified him that they couldn't find Ed. He ordered his unit and the rest of the military personnel to search the surrounding area. Fuery and Falman had been the unfortunate ones to stumble upon the body. It didn't take a genius to figure out something went wrong when the killer was trying to abduct the next victim, and Ed must have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The second he heard the news and that the body wasn't Ed, he wasted no time in grabbing Alphonse and jumping in the car with him and his First Lieutenant. He couldn't stay. A few soldiers would contact Eastern Command and stay behind. Investigations would look further into the body lying in the alley.

He had to leave. He had to find the killer before there was another victim.

 _I let the killer slip through our defenses, and two kids have paid the price for my mistake._

He looked into his driver side mirror, seeing headlights in the distance. He relaxed just a tad. At least their forces at the lake had been contacted and more were on their way. With this much manpower, they should be able to catch their killer.

 _But I should have before this psychopath killed that kid…before he got away with Ed…and I didn't._

He shook his head. He had to stop thinking like that. Like he told Alphonse, nothing would happen to Ed. He sped even further through the night.

 _There won't be another victim._

 ***break***

He carelessly slipped the unconscious boy off his shoulder when he reached the edge of the lake, making a splash as the kid landed in the shallow water. Hands on his knees, he tried to catch his breath. With the military on patrol, he had to ditch his car and carry the kid on foot. He only made it here due to the cover of the trees.

 _They weren't supposed to know. They weren't supposed to be here. They nearly ruined everything._

He stared down on the kid. Even in the dark, he could see that bright, blond hair. He knelt down and stroked the braid. The boy was absolutely beautiful.

 _I wish I didn't have to kill you._

His first choice put up much more of a fight than anticipated. He didn't even have the chance to grab his sedative.

 _Usually, my knife scares them enough. Why didn't it work? I wasn't supposed to stab him until I brought him here._

"You should have never been in that alley," he murmured.

Adjusting his wig, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. He grinned as the moonlight glinted off the blade. He raised the weapon and froze.

A bullet whizzed by his head.

 ***break***

The Colonel heard Riza swear under her breath, knowing she'd been hoping to at least graze the woman. He led their forces as they raced toward the edge of the lake.

They had their killer. There wouldn't be another victim.

The closer they got to the lake, the better view they got of their killer. It wasn't until the figure stood up with Ed in its arms that they could see the lean muscle and masculine appearance.

This definitely wasn't a woman…just a sick man that decided to dress up as Ellen Drake.

Roy locked his eyes on his subordinate. He expected Ed to be giving his abductor hell, but he hung limp in the killer's arms as he was crushed against the man's chest.

His fingers twitched, itching to kill the twisted man before them, but he couldn't do it. He risked a glance at his men, noticing how they all had slightly lowered their weapons as they moved in. They couldn't use their weapons while the killer was practically using Ed as a shield.

 _We may not be able to get a shot at him, but we still outnumber him. We should still be able to apprehend him._

At least that's what he thought until he realized the man seemed to be getting further and further away, always keeping Ed in front of him. He heard Riza gasp next to him.

 _He's getting further out into the lake. If he gets deep enough…._

His fears became reality when the killer plunged into the water, taking Ed with him.

"Fullmetal!"

He ran as fast as his legs would carry him, leaving the rest of the soldiers behind. Riza was just a step behind him, kicking off her shoes and shedding her jacket as she ran. He followed suit, but she sprinted ahead of him.

"I'll get him!" she yelled as she dove into the dark water.

"Lieutenant…."

 _It's so dark…she won't be able to see…._

His eyes widened and he slowed down when he was knee-deep in the water.

 _She wanted me to stay behind._

He took a deep breath, concentrating and adjusting the oxygen molecules in the air. He snapped, sparking a massive flame to spread above the surface of the lake. Never taking his eyes off the fire, he heard the splash of the other soldiers joining him. He could hear them hesitate as they stared at his flames, but only for a brief moment.

"Move in! We need to help Lieutenant Hawkeye!" he heard Havoc order.

He could see their forces surging ahead, diving into the now illuminated lake. He steadied his breathing. He had to concentrate. They had to see to find Ed. He could hear the metallic clanking of the younger Elric approaching behind him.

"Colonel—"

"He's going to be okay, Al."

 _Ed's going to be okay. We're not losing another kid tonight._

 ***break***

 _The Colonel will understand._

Riza knew he would. That's why she didn't hesitate diving into the lake. She opened her eyes, pitch black surrounding her. Just a second later, the water was illuminated with a flickering orange glow. The water was still a little murky, but she could at least see. A glint of metal caught her eye.

 _Ed's automail!_

She propelled herself downward, the light from Roy's flames fading as she swam deeper. Her lungs burned, but she forced herself to keep going.

 _I'm almost there. I'm not losing him again._

She reached out to grab the metal, relieved when she felt the cloth of Ed's shirtsleeve. There was only one problem: Ed still wasn't moving. Grabbing both his arms, she pulled him up and situated his arms around her neck. Kicking with all the energy she had, the two slowly started to make the ascension to the surface.

Riza's lungs screamed for oxygen, but she paid them no mind. She kept kicking. Ed's automail was heavy, but she sure as hell wasn't going to let that prevent her from getting them to the surface. The orange glow of the Colonel's flames grew brighter. She was going to make it.

Until a hand grabbed her ankle and yanked her back down.

She kicked out with her free leg, causing the grip on her ankle to loosen. It disappeared completely when someone collided into her legs, but fortunately the person grabbing her too. She felt someone grab Ed and instinctively gripped his arms tighter. Her panic was short-lived when she recognized the blue pants of an Amestrian military uniform.

It was a bit too murky to see exactly who it was, but she allowed him to ease Ed off her back so they could share his weight between them. Despite being extremely lightheaded, she surged upward. She gasped for air when they broke through the surface, instantly feeling the heat of the Colonel's flames roaring over her head.

"Give Ed to me!" she heard from right next to her.

Only then did she realize it was Havoc. Helping put the young alchemist onto his back, the two swam toward the lakeshore.

The Colonel extinguished the flames when he saw his two subordinates with Ed. He ran to help Havoc get Ed back onto land. He didn't hesitate laying Ed on his back and looking over the kid. He couldn't help but be relieved when he didn't see any stab wounds, but vanished when he didn't see the rise and fall of Ed's chest.

"Colonel?" Alphonse asked, not liking the way Roy's face suddenly paled.

Roy put an ear on Ed's chest.

"He's not breathing," he muttered.

He didn't even need to ask. Riza was already positioning herself by Ed's head. He put his hands on Ed's chest and began compressions. He paused to let his First Lieutenant breathe into the kid, watching as Ed's chest rose with her breath. He resumed his chest compressions.

Ed still wasn't breathing.

"Come on, Fullmetal!" he yelled.

He paused again.

 _Ed's going to be okay. We're not losing another kid tonight._

When Riza finished her second breath, he pressed down on Ed's chest. The urge to vomit nearly overwhelmed him when he felt one of Ed's ribs crack underneath his hand, but he didn't stop.

He couldn't.

 _We're not losing another kid tonight._

The rest of his unit gathered around the two desperate military officers, Fuery coming close to crying when his superiors still weren't successful.

"Brother…."

Breda moved next to Alphonse and put a hand on his armor when the kid's voice broke, but he remained silent. All they could do was watch as the Colonel and First Lieutenant tried to revive the kid's older brother. They watched as Hawkeye breathed into him yet again, but Ed's chest refused to rise on its own.

The group barely noticed another officer that approached the Colonel.

"Sir, I think it's too la—"

"No it isn't!" Roy yelled at the young man.

He took a deep breath and looked back to Ed. He hadn't meant to snap at the young officer. It wasn't okay….

…but he just didn't want to admit he could be right.

He met Riza's eyes, noticing the tears welling in them. He blinked, a tear falling from his own.

"One more time."

His First Lieutenant nodded, pinching the kid's nose and breathing into him. He pressed down on Ed's chest again, forcing himself to ignore a couple more ribs cracking.

"Please, Ed," he begged.

As if he heard his superior's plea, Ed finally coughed up water after the eighth compression.

"Brother!" Al yelled as he moved to kneel next to Ed.

Roy and Riza turned him over on his side, making sure he wouldn't swallow any of the water his lungs were expelling. Once he didn't seem to be coughing up water anymore, Roy sat him up against his chest to help him to breathe. He glanced around at his men and was completely certain he had never seen any one of them smile more than they were now, even normally stoic Falman.

Ed's eyes slowly fluttered open. The Colonel instantly felt him relax when he saw who was around him.

"D-did…did you guys…."

"Don't speak," Roy spoke softly to him. "Don't waste your energy. Just breathe."

Ed let his head rest against his commanding officer's shoulder and didn't say anything else. Roy almost chuckled at the prospect of his young subordinate actually following orders for once, but he couldn't. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around the kid, relishing the feeling of Ed breathing against him. He opened them again when he heard Falman speak.

"We apprehended the killer. He's being taken to East City's prison as we speak."

He'd nearly forgotten why they were in this position in the first place.

 _We nearly lost another kid tonight…but we didn't. Ed's safe. He's okay._

"Thank you. I'm sure someone from investigations will give us an update when they get the chance."

They all turned as a few officers approached Mustang's unit, blankets in hand. Nodding in thanks, Havoc took them, handing one to Riza and keeping one for himself before giving the rest to the Colonel.

"We need to get you to a hospital," he muttered to Ed as he wrapped a blanket around the kid's shoulders. "You have a few cracked ribs that need to get checked out."

Ed simply nodded. Al helped the Colonel wrap his legs up in the extra blanket before the older man stood with his arms under Ed's back and knees. While Ed would normally protest being carried, he couldn't have if he wanted to. That and he didn't trust his own legs to hold him up. He let his head rest against the Colonel's chest as the man carried him to the cars.

Al opened the back door so Roy could lay his brother along the back seat.

"I'll meet you there!" Al promised.

Ed managed a weak smile at his brother before the younger Elric got in a car with Havoc and Breda. Roy quickly slid behind the wheel, Riza already in the passenger seat. They'd barely started their drive back to East City when the teen fell asleep.

Roy gripped the steering wheel tight, but not like he did on the way to the lake.

 _We found him in time…barely…but he's okay. He's breathing. He's okay._

He knew Ed was all right. He knew the kid just needed a doctor to check on him, but that didn't stop him from constantly checking on him in the rearview mirror or stop Riza from watching over him the entire drive back.

 ***break***

Ed groaned as he started to wake up, the warmth surrounding him making it quite tempting to just drift off back to sleep. The gentle hand stroking his bangs nearly drove him back into unconsciousness.

"Brother!"

Hearing his younger brother's voice made Ed force his eyes open instantly. It was impossible to miss his brother looming over him. The younger Elric was instantly overjoyed.

"Brother! You're awake! Are you all right?"

"How are you feeling?" a calmer voice asked.

He looked to his right. Riza sat right next to his bed, her hand moving away from his hair. The Colonel got up to stand next to his Lieutenant.

"I'm fine," he replied automatically, but that was proven false the second he tried to sit up.

Al adjusted the pillow behind him while Roy helped him sit up and fixed the blankets for him. The older alchemist handed him a couple of pills and a glass of water.

"Your doctor prescribed those for you," he explained. "They'll relieve the pain. You have two cracked ribs and one completely broken. You'll have to stay here for the night, but he said you should be able to leave tomorrow morning. You're going to need to take it easy for at least a week, though."

Ed couldn't miss the guilt flash in the Colonel's eyes, and the Lieutenant's as well. He took the pills before looking back to the two military officers and changing the subject.

"Do you know who he was?" he asked.

"I called investigations while you were asleep," Roy began. "His name's Daniel Adkin. From what they've gathered so far, he doesn't have any connection to Ellen Drake. Surprisingly enough, he only lived a few blocks away from Eastern Headquarters. A few soldiers went to search his home and found every newspaper with the murder-suicide story to be printed scattered all over his home."

Ed's eyes widened.

"Why?"

The Colonel merely shrugged.

"I don't know. I don't think any of us will ever understand why he was obsessed with Ellen Drake's story."

Ed looked down, twisting his hands into the blanket.

"Then why did he do all of this?"

"I wish I had an answer for you, Fullmetal," Roy sighed. "He hasn't given investigations a reason why. He hasn't given them much of anything besides his name. From what they've told me, he just keeps asking if everyone at the festival was scared of the legend of Ellen Drake." He chuckled at the confusion clearly evident on Ed's face. "I know. It doesn't make any sense to me either. I'd say he was just a psychopath obsessed with replicating Drake's murder. Unfortunately, three boys lost their lives because of this man's sick fantasy."

Ed tensed when his superior mentioned the victims. Everyone in the room clearly noticed. Riza put a hand on Ed's arm.

"Did you see…." she trailed off when slowly nodded, not even letting her finish the question. She took a deep breath, her chest tightening a bit. "I'm so sorry you had to see that."

"I…I didn't get to that alley fast enough…he might still be alive if I had."

"Brother, there wasn't anything you could have done," Al said.

"Al's right," Riza agreed, moving to sit next to Ed on the bed. Even though she expected the teen to push her away, she pulled him into a hug. "Adkin must have panicked when his victim put up a fight. There wasn't anything you could do to prevent that. I shouldn't have lost you. If I'd kept up with you then…I'm so sorry."

She shut her eyes, not wanting to remember the lifeless boy she and Havoc dragged out of the lake. Much to her surprise, Ed didn't push her away and instead slightly leaned into her embrace.

That's when she felt it.

It was almost unnoticeable, especially since Ed was mostly covered by the blankets, but she could feel the kid in her arms trembling. It was a wonder how he'd managed to keep his voice fairly steady throughout their conversation.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Lieutenant. You told me not to run off, and I did anyway. If anything, I should be thanking you." He made eye contact with the Colonel and swallowed thickly before continuing. "Both of you. You saved my life."

Riza tightened her arms around the young alchemist, realizing Ed was truly shaken by the fact that he'd almost become one of Adkin's victims. She glanced at the Colonel, knowing he was thinking the same thing.

 _How could we have let this happen?_

Roy put a hand on top of Ed's head.

"There were a lot of things out of our control tonight. We can't save everyone, even though I really wish we could." He paused and grinned slightly. "Our mission wasn't in vain, though. We got him. Daniel Adkin will pay for what he did to each of those boys. He'll never have another victim." He cupped Ed's chin, ensuring his subordinate was looking him in the eye. "And _you're_ okay. You're safe now."

Ed nodded. He knew his commanding officer was right. In the end, they caught a serial killer. Daniel Adkin won't be able to hurt someone ever again.

"Thanks, Colonel."

Roy's grin turned into a smile and he ruffled Ed's hair.

"Is there anything you need? Are you hungry?"

Ed thought it over a second before nodding. Roy straightened up and headed to the door, glancing over his shoulder as he left the room.

"I'll be back soon then."

He walked through the halls of the hospital, running a hand through his hair. He needed to believe his own words. There were a lot of things out of his control, and he almost lost Ed tonight as a result.

 _But I didn't._

He couldn't dwell on what almost happened. He still had his team. _All_ of his team.

And that was more than enough for him.

 **Well, there it is! I hope you all enjoyed this little fic from Akarri and I! Have a happy Halloween and I will hopefully be back soon to update my other fics!**

 **Until then,**

 **alightintheshadows**


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